


Snow Dust

by The_Wordsdealer



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bottom Wu Yi Fan | Kris, M/M, Mpreg, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2019-01-30 07:30:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12648981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Wordsdealer/pseuds/The_Wordsdealer
Summary: Junmyeon meets Yifan on an autumn day.





	Snow Dust

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt # 39: Wolf!AU. Fall has never been Alpha Junmyeon's favorite, since the weather would start to get cold and he obviously prefer warm weather. Until the mighty alpha meet a shy, awkward, scared, lanky, loner, lost, and also....pregnant omega named Yifan, that accidentally stepping in his territory in one particular day of fall season that year. Maybe, fall is not a bad season after all.
> 
> As usual, a little music - Konayuki by Remioromen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtZgUoEeeXY

The chilly morning air woke Junmyeon up before the alarm clock could. The alpha lied there and stared at the darkness of his flat. Out of nowhere, a burst of sadness spread throughout him. The cold snatched and devoured him. He used to stay at an employee house of the 24/7 restaurant where he was working as a swing chef with his long-time friends and colleagues. But, he moved out yesterday to this current place to make place for the younger apprentices of the restaurant. He shared a room with Sehun, Baekhyun and Jongdae in the old place and he missed their rustling, how the room was always filled with energy from its occupants. He shared a bed with Sehun and he missed the kid’s warmth. The employee house was next to the restaurant which was in a busy blue collar district, filled with noise almost every hour of the day. He found that annoying sometimes but now, lying in complete silence at 3 am in an empty flat, he missed the lively sound more than he could bear. He missed his old house, not the employee house but the house he lived from childhood with his family before the recession swept it away. He missed his parent and his brother. He had not visited them for quite a while now since work flooded over him. His eyes felt wet and he blinked the tears away. No, he had work at 4 am, he could not let a moment of weakness defeat him. 

Slowly, Junmyeon got out of the comfortable blankets, unveiling the curtain surrounding his bed. He carefully navigated around the unopened boxes on the floor and got to the kitchen area across the room, separated by a thin divider. The flat had neither a heater or hot water but he could not afford a better one at the moment. He quickly boiled the water to wash his face, shaking because of the cold. Afterwards, he ate a light meal, served as a warm-up and packed his breakfast and lunch to eat at work. He remembered to chug down the heat-suppressants before leaving. His shift started at an ungodly hour of 4 am, lasted for 12 hours with a just-enough-to-get-buy salary and no benefits but truly, he felt utmost lucky. At least, he still had a job to take care of his parents and the restaurant’s owners were kind enough to buy the employees insurance. Thousands upon thousands lost their jobs since the recession hit six years ago, Junmyeon parents included. A lot of them became homeless. They gathered in the parks, on the streets, depending on charity kitchen just to survive. Before, Junmyeon loved the cold winter. It brought about the occasion of snuggling in bed with smoking hot chocolate, listening to some good tracks. Yet since the recession, he came to hate it with all his guts. Cold weather meant more dead people. They died in their sleep on the street, under a random porch or bridge, in the middle of the garbage bins in an alley. They were everywhere. It became an increasingly common sight. Every one or two weeks, someone would be found dead in front of their restaurant during fall. At the height of winter, it would be every three or four days. Junmyeon hated cold seasons. The air was getting colder. The sky was getting darker. The atmosphere was getting heavier as life was withdrawn from both the surroundings and the people. 

Junmyeon carefully locked his door before departing the apartment. Outside, the sky was pitch black. The street lights emitted a yellowish color. It did not do much lighting up the street, only made it more sorrowful. His apartment was 20-minute away from Paradise, the restaurant where he worked. He hoped that he would not come across any corpse on his way to work today. He pulled up the hood of his jacket and hid further behind his scarf. He looked straight ahead as he walked. You could never be too sure if someone you encountered was human or something else. The occasional gusts of wind and the sound of his footsteps were his only companions today, it seemed. Walking the streets was even more of a hazard these days. Cold, thirst, hunger drove people out of their minds, reduced them to nothing but a maniac with only survival in mind. They were willing to do anything to get something to fill up their empty, contorted bellies or a few drops of water for their dried up throats. Another problem was the monthly heat. Junmyeon used to hear people screaming while they were getting dragged into an alley and raped. The first time he heard that sound, he nearly froze. With the strength he never knew he possessed, he kept on walking. Faster. He did not want to become the next victim. Luckily, those instances were anomalies. The first thing the government did when the recession hit was to distribute free heat-suppressants for everyone. Still, he still brought a small click knife with him. The threats of rape, robbery, abduction were all too real.

Half way through, Junmyeon met Minseok and Jongin, his co-workers. Minseok also lived in an apartment 20-minute away from work but from a different area from Junmyeon. Jongin lived with his parents 5-minute away from their meeting point. Minseok was getting home from the night shift while Jongin would be joining Junmyeon for the day shift. He sighed in relief and waved at the other men. They shared quick greetings before Minseok bidded goodbye to Junmyeon and Jongin. The two arrived at the destination at fifteen to four. Baekhyun, Sehun and Chanyeol were on storing duty today. They were bringing boxes after boxes of ingredients from the trucks to the storage. Junymeon and Jongin entered the back door and got to the locker room. Junmyeon quickly changed into his uniform and placed his meals in the fridge there. He was on opening duty today with Kyungsoo so he quickly got to the dining area. He helped the other man setting the tables - putting down the chairs and placing utensils in the appropriate place. 

At sharp 4, the day officially began. Like an orchestra, everyone started in sync on the mark of Ms. Kwon - the head chef. Sounds of chopping, dishes and bowls clinking, oil boiling filled the space. The restaurant staff would not be able to sit down for 12 hours though they were allowed short breaks for breakfast and lunch or when there were not many customers. Paradise was one of a few restaurants which could still stay in business during this dark era. Surely, the owners were notoriously demanding and they overworked the staff (well, the restaurant was viciously understaffed, compared to the numbers of customers), the employees were taught fine craftsmanship here. Many later came to be renowned restaurant owners or worked at five-star restaurants and hotels. As a swing chef, Junmyeon moved from station to station, whichever needed him at the moment. Sometimes, he decorated a dish with a sauce Chanyeol just finished making. Other times, he would fry a dish for Baekhyun so the guy could deal with a new order or give Kyungsoo a hand with dishes requiring skewers. Maybe, Jongin would call him over to do all the fish chopping so that he could cook others. Time to times again, Jongdae would ask him to cook the sauce for the roasted dish he was in the middle of making. Very often, near the end of the morning shift, Sehun would call him over the vegetable station to make a new batch of kimchi. Occasionally, Mrs. Lee - one of the owners, would come down to supervise and nag at them with her squeaky voice in an ear-drilling manner. 

“Baekhyun, the fish is burnt at the corner. I know it was a mistake promoting you to a fry chef after just three months.” 

“Kim Jongin, you cut the fish like a fucking parkinson patient. Did I teach you that?”

“Sehun, are you a snail or what? WORK FASTER.”

“I’m fucking disappointed in you, Junmyeon. Seven years of training and this is all you’ve got? You want to go back to be an unpaid intern or something?” 

“Strive for excellence, not perfection. I don’t know if you ever come across that shit. But here, y’all better fucking strive for perfection, y’all hear me?”

Mrs. Lee treated the kitchen like a boot camp. When Junmyeon was an apprentice, he felt shocked and stressed for a first couple of days but now, he and everyone else, were used to it. Some of them would even sass back at her, creating a chain of friendly bantering. It would feel like something was missing without Mrs. Lee’s nagging. Her words may be cruel but she was not a cruel person. They operated a charitable session for homeless people every Friday. The leftover food would be given to orphanages or homeless people or the employees themselves. She and her husband helped the employees who quitted to find new jobs or to open restaurants of their own.

* * *

12 hours seem like a long time but they passed in a blink of an eye. Junmyeon returned to the locker room and took a shower at the restaurant before heading home since there was hot water here. It was a bit dreadful, thinking about unboxing and all when all he wanted to do was collapse into bed and go unconscious for a long long time. The thread of living alone in a not-warm-enough flat in the equally dreadful weather. Another thing Junmyeon hated about cold seasons was that the night would be longer and came sooner. He woke up in the dark, spent a whole day in the kitchen which was underground, and then went home in the dark. He did not get to see a single ray of sunlight and this sent him on a downward spiral. Ah, how he wished for a lover, someone to be with at the end of the day. He laughed the idea off. Such seemingly natural inclination was a luxury these days. Getting married during a recession and starving together? No, thank you very much. He had to take care of himself and send money back to his parent right now. He did not have time and other resources to pay attention to someone else. 

Junmyeon got out of the shower. After washing off the smell and various types of liquid from the kitchen, he felt rejuvenated. He then got with the other guys and Ms. Kwon in the employee common area. It was basically a free space near the back door where they took smoke breaks and ate their meals. Today was a lucky day since there was a spare bottle of soju, ordered by mistake and now, it was theirs to feast. Most of the times, the kitchen staff would eat the leftovers since after 12 hours of non-stop cooking, they would rather plunge themselves in front of a moving truck than cook again, at least it was like that for Junmyeon. They were eating and laughing at Baekhyun’s jokes when they heard a knock on the back door. 

“Who could that be? They usually deliver mails through the reception. And we didn’t order any extra ingredients.” Ms. Kwon said before standing up and going to open the door.

They all looked at Ms. Kwon’s direction. The door obscured most of the man’s figure but it was still recognizable that he was really tall. His hair were long and greasy. His clothes were dirty and badly tattered, probably some homeless person.

“The soup kitchen opens on Friday,” Ms. Kwon said to the man.

“I know,” he replied in a deep voice, “I’m not here asking for food though. I wonder if your restaurant needs a pastry chef.”

“Well, no …” Ms. Kwon paused. “Actually, yes. But we’re not hiring at the moment. Sorry.”

Junmyeon could not see the man’s face but he had to be quite disappointed. As Ms. Kwon said, they did need a pastry chef, actually two pastry chefs. Their old ones retired two years ago and the owners did not hire new chefs. Because of that, Junmyeon and the apprentices had to take turns taking care of the bread and other desserts. Hiring one would decrease the pressure on the staff and increase the quality (they used a lot of ready-made ingredients instead of store made like before). The man let out a “Thank you” whisper and bowed to Ms. Kwon and turned away.

“Hey, wait. Do you have any sort of CV or ID? I’ll try to convince old hag. Shit, I put up with lack of staff for years already.”

The man was invited in afterwards to write his CV. Junmyeon got a better look of him now. His face was obscured by the long messy beard. He was a bit lanky. Apparently, he was an omega. He was shaking from the cold since the long trench coat he was wearing was not enough for this kind of weather. He carried with him a small backpack, must be all the possessions he had left. Baekhyun turned to the stranger. 

“Hey, handsome. What’s your name?” The small alpha asked flirtatiously. 

The stranger looked up, a bit shy, “Wu Yifan. You can call me Yifan.”

Junmyeon smiled internally for some reason. 

“Where are you from?” Kyungsoo asked next.

“Guangzhou, China,” came the reply. 

“Oooh, when did you get here?” Chanyeol chimed in.

“Eight years ago. I went over here to study at Prime bakery.”

“You’re master Jung’s protégé?” Junmyeon exclaimed. “Oh my god, Kwon-noona, we must convince Mrs. Lee to hire him.”

Master Jung, like the Lee family, was notorious for being an extremely demanding mentor. She did not have many apprentices. Most quitted before they could finish their training. Her bakery’s products were 100% handmade, hardly were there any machines involved in the process. Mrs. Lee criticized master Jung over what she called “ancient” approach which just “tortured everyone involved”. Prime bakery was just a small town bakery but it had great reputation. However, it went bankrupt about six months ago, shortly after master Jung died. It was understandable, since their products were not really affordable for the majority of people. 

“You have master Jung’s reference letter with you?” Ms. Kwon asked.

Yifan nodded. 

Suddenly, there was a gurgling sound. Yifan blushed this time and Junmyeon felt like someone was squeezing his airway. 

Ms. Kwon giggled. “Kids, spare something for him, won’t you?” 

After handing his CV to Ms. Kwon, Yifan asked her if could take a shower there.

“The bathroom is over there,” Ms. Kwon instructed him. “There’re also a washing machine and a dryer in the locker room. Feel free to use them.”

“Thank you. You are all so kind.” 

“Do you need shaving cream and razor, shampoo, soap, those kind of stuff?” Junmyeon asked the omega. “You can use mine if you need.”

Yifan flustered a little. He looked Junmyeon in the eyes, seemingly understood what the alpha implied. “That’d be great, actually,” answered Yifan eventually.

Junmyeon pulled out his things to give to the omega. He then returned to his interrupted dinner. Minutes later, Yifan stepped into the common area again. He had changed into a white T-shirt and a pair of black jeans. His hair was cut short and his beard was trimmed off completely, revealing his lovely face. Water was still slightly dripping from his hair. The air grew tense. Junmyeon could sense the slight arousal of the other alpha, Baekhyun. Even Chanyeol and Sehun, who were beta, turned excited. Yet, all of them could not make a move, even if they wanted to. Junmyeon and Yifan shared the same scent at the moment. He would take the omega home tonight, no dispute. Baekhyun sighed rather audibly and took another gulf of soju, must be wishing he had offered Yifan toiletries before Junmyeon could. 

“Come, sit with us, Yifan,” Ms. Kwon finally broke the silence.

Jongin and Chanyeol made room for Yifan. Kyungsoo smiled and pushed Yifan a bowl of rice.

“Where are you staying?” Kyungsoo asked.

“I have no place to stay, actually. I’ve been sleeping on the street in the city for the past two weeks.”

Junmyeon could not help but remember the corpses and the screaming sound when he heard that. “Why don’t you come to my house?” Junmyeon offered. “We have an employee house but sadly, it is full now. My flat is just around 20-minute away from here. You’re welcomed to stay there until you can find a more suitable place,” he added. 

Yifan smiled at him. “If you say so. Thank you ...”

“It’s Junmyeon.”

“Thank you, Junmyeon.”

The group then started to introduce themselves to Yifan. After they finished dinner, everyone set off on their own course. Yifan followed Junmyeon home. It was already dark when they got outside, just like this morning. The weather was cold, just like this morning. The path was the same, just like this morning. But Junmyeon felt different. There was something like joy and warmth bustling inside his body. Just half a day ago, he went to work alone. And now, he was returning home with someone. Surely, this was just a casual heat partnership. People did it all time. They got together for a few days for heat and then became strangers once again. In their case, each would go their own way after a few months but still, it was something. They walked together in silence. Once in a while, Junmyeon turned around to make sure Yifan was still with him.

* * *

Junmyeon led Yifan up to his flat on the third floor. Damn, he only now remembered that his room was still a mess. He turned on the light which painted the small flat with yellow.

“Sorry, I just moved so …” Junmyeon said, gesturing at the boxes on the floor.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

Junmyeon smiled thankfully. Now, how would it go? He had been on suppressant for so long that he forgot how it went, how to flirt and stuff. He turned to look at Yifan, who seemed a little nervous. They shared eye contact for a brief moment. Without saying, they both figured it would be better to not say anything at all and just jump to the point. Junmyeon slowly stepped towards Yifan. He took Yifan’s hand and gently coaxed open his fingers, smoothing over them a bit. He waited for the omega to relax then raised himself up to press a kiss on Yifan’s lips. They let the heat simmer as their kissing grew more passionately. They quickly shrugged off their coats. The room was not at all warm but they were burning. Yifan slowly pushed Junmyeon back to the bed in the corner, as if he had known how desperate the alpha was. Everything proceeded in a haste. The omega reached his hand down to unfasten Junmyeon’s jeans and slipped inside, making Junmyeon moan into their kiss. Junmyeon slipped his hands under the other man’s T-shirt, smoothing over his spine which earned the alpha a hitch in breath. He felt both his briefs and jeans were being pulled down before the taller man pushed him down to sit on the bed, breaking their kiss. 

Yifan knelt between Junmyeon’s knees and gave his hardened cock a few pumps.

“Haven’t brought an omega home for a long time, huh?” Yifan asked, thumb teasing Junmyeon’s slit. 

Junmyeon let out a gasp, bringing his hand to Yifan’s hair. “Yeah. I just use suppressants.”

“Same,” Yifan said before he slid forward and took the tip of Junmyeon’s cock into his mouth. 

Junmyeon hissed and closed his eyes, his hand twisting further into Yifan’s hair. He tried his best not to buck his hips. Yifan ran his tongue on the side of Junmyeon’s cock and the alpha moaned raspily. The omega gave a few more tucks before hollowing his cheek, sucking deeper. He bobbed his head in a slow pace and fondled the alpha’s balls gently, almost ghostly. Junmyeon bit his lips and shuddered, moving his hands down to caress Yifan’s cheek and ear. As Yifan increased his speed, Junmyeon bucked more into him. He leaned back a little for leverage and thrusted into the wetness and hotness of Yifan’s mouth, gasping for air. Frills after frills of pleasure coursed through every nerve in Junmyeon’s body. He cried out when he felt the tip of his cock hitting Yifan’s throat. Junmyeon sat back up and thrusted more forcefully, gripping Yifan’s shoulders hard. Pressure kept building within Junmyeon as he fucked Yifan’s mouth, feeling the omega’s fingers smoothing over his forming knot. After a while, pleasure crashed down on Junmyeon as he came with a howl, eyes squeezing hard, spilling all into Yifan’s mouth. The other man moved backwards and swallowed but kept stroking him through the aftershock. 

After a while, Junmyeon reclined on the bed, pulling Yifan up with him. They kissed again, slower this time. Junmyeon had his hands sliding under Yifan’s T-shirt again and caressing Yifan’s back. He moved one hand down the omega’s pants a while later. Yifan was slightly rubbing his cock against Junmyeon’s. The alpha could feel Yifan moving his hands under his shirt and smooth over his nipples. Junmyeon moved to kiss Yifan’s neck, one hand pulling both his jeans and underpants down as the other pulling up his T-shirt. Yifan’s breath hitched as Junmyeon circled his entrance. The alpha then gently flipped them over. He stopped kissing the omega to give him time to lie on the pillow. Junmyeon moved with him and claimed his lips again, having a leg between his thighs. He lazily stroked Yifan’s cock and moved down to kiss his chest and teased his nipples. Yifan was not the noisy sort, it seemed, only panted and gasped. 

Junmyeon continued to trail kisses lower and lower. Without further teasing, he put Yifan’s hard cock inside his mouth. At the same time, he pulled Yifan’s pants and brief all the way down and pushed a finger into his soaking wet entrance, feeling it twitched to accommodate the intrusion. He quickly looked for Yifan’s prostate. Junmyeon looked up and saw Yifan holding on the pillow for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut. He knew he found the spot when the omega clamped hard on his single digit. He moved his hand slowly at first, his mouth never stop lapping the omega’s tip and side. Shortly after, he added another finger and had Yifan buck quicker into his mouth. Junmyeon quickened his pace, plowing mercilessly at the sensitive nerves within Yifan. He let Yifan freely grip his head and thrust as he please while fingering him harder. The room filled with Yifan’s gasping and panting. Yifan came quickly, spasming around Junmyeon’s fingers. 

Junmyeon waited until Yifan came down from his high, massaging his stomach, his thighs all the while. When Yifan did, Junmyeon pulled off his shirt and slipped it under Yifan’s back. He then reached up and pulled Yifan to a long kiss. Yifan had both arms over his neck, holding him tight. Moments later, Junmyeon broke the kiss and sat up. He got the condom from his bedside table and put it on his cock. The alpha then pushed Yifan’s legs upwards to his chest, letting them wrapped loosely around his waist. He stroked Yifan to full hardness again. He then positioned at the omega’s entrance, smoothing over it.

“Gentle,” Yifan whispered shakily.

Junmyeon nodded and slowly pushed all the way inside, carefully to leave his knot out. Junmyeon closed his eyes for a second to savor the moment, to delve in the warmth and the tightness. He gave Yifan’s leaking cock a few tucks. When Yifan tightened his legs around Junmyeon, he braced his arms on the bed and started thrusting gently. Yifan’s muscles spasm around him, enveloping him in their tightness whether he moved in or out. Junmyeon pulled the other man T-shirt up to his neck. The omega’s nipples jutted out. His chest and neck and cheeks were painted with a lovely shade of red. His stomach was strained. His legs slightly folded at Junmyeon’s sides. The sight and the sensation were delicious. Junmyeon squeezed the bed’s cover and frowned, trying his best to keep his pace steady. He let out a moan here and there. Yifan kept letting out breathy groans which were like music to his ears. Had the tall man not squeezed the blanket hard and his cock had not stayed hard, Junmyeon could never tell if the man was enjoying it. When his knees felt a bit sore, Junmyeon skidded forward, stretching them straight and slipped deeper into Yifan. The first part of his knot slightly went in, making Yifan whimper and clamped down to keep it out. Junmyeon whispered sorry to the omega. He kissed the man’s neck and collarbone, hands teasing his nipples and stroking his cock. 

“Put your hands on my back. It’s okay,” he said to the omega and Yifan did.

After a while, Junmyeon sat back up again. He brought Yifan’s knees together and bent them a little, giving searching thrusts. He knew he found the right spot when Yifan clamped down at him hard. He kept the angle and thrusted faster, making the other man’s toes curled. The friction almost made him see white.

“Can I knot you?” Junmyeon finally asked.

Yifan nodded. At that, Junmyeon slowed down and carefully pulled himself out. Yifan quickly moved and lied on his side. Junmyeon bent forward and kissed Yifan some more. He then quickly settled behind the omega. He held Yifan tight, pushing inside the omega once again. He kept thrusting fast and hard until he came with a howl. He shook against Yifan’s back, hands clawing the man’s waist. The pleasure was overwhelming. After a few lazy thrusts, Junmyeon pushed hard, lodging his knot inside Yifan. He bit down his lip as the tightness of Yifan’s inside engulfed him painfully. Yifan moved his hands quick on his own cock, shaking a bit at the stretch. Junmyeon kissed Yifan’s nape, his shoulders, all the while taking over stroking Yifan’s cock. He kept the pace slow. When his knot deflated a little, he picked up the pace. When Yifan came, he moaned into the pillow, tightening hard around Junmyeon. The alpha winced a little at that. They lied on the bed, waiting for their composure to return. A minute or so passed and Junmyeon’s knot finished deflating. He carefully pulled it out of the omega’s body, making the other man gasp, his hole twitching and gaping as if trying to keep him there. 

When they could breathe normally again, they cleaned themselves partially with tissues.

“You have cigarette?” Yifan sat up on the bed, looking away from Junmyeon, his cheeks were still red.

Junmyeon said yes and sat up as well. He discarded the condom first then opened the bedside table to pull out a fresh pack of cigarette along with the lighter. Yifan pulled out one and leaned over so Junmyeon could light it for him. They smoked in silence. A while later, Junmyeon received a text from Ms. Kwon saying that Mrs. Lee agreed to give Yifan an interview, telling him to remind Yifan to prepare something. He gave his phone to Yifan. The other man immediately got up after reading it.

“Do you have flour, milk, and egg?” Yifan asked, putting his briefs back on.

“Yeah. Over in the kitchen. The utensils are there, too.”

Yifan wobbled towards the kitchen area. Junmyeon smiled at that. He asked the omega, still lying on bed:

“What do you plan on making?”

“Croissants. I have to prepare the dough.”

“Make it quick, though. The morning shift starts at 4 am.”

“Okay.”

After a while, Junmyeon sat up and went to the bathroom to clean himself. He then started to unbox his stuff, figuring he should let Yifan concentrate on his work so he did not try to make small talks. Yifan did not seem like the small talk kind of guy anyway. The man was a quiet person, both on the street and in the sheets, it seemed. Junmyeon placed his own clothes in the wardrobe first. He then  took out Yifan’s clothes from the backpack and ironed them before placing them carefully in there. A thought came across his mind. It would be great if Yifan agreed to stay with him, bond with him and marry him. He laughed it off, though. Urgh, where did it come from? He just met the guy and after a round of sex, he already thought way too far ahead. It must have been heat talk. Moreover, Yifan would find another place to live soon. People had heat partners, getting together a few days a month for heat and then became strangers once again when it ended all the time, Junmyeon reminded himself. Usually, they did not even talk to each other or talk very little. No need to expect too much. Plus, he had his family to take care of. Junmyeon did not have a lot of things with him so he finished rather quickly. He decided to vacuum the house next. He took a glance over the kitchen. Yifan had put the dough in the refrigerator and was cleaning the place. By the time Junmyeon finished vacuuming the place, Yifan had gone back to the bedroom and smoked again.

Junmyeon went to bed a while later, carefully tucking the hot water bottle under the blanket. Yifan, who was lying in the bed, stirred a little. Junmyeon then pull the curtain around the bed and went lie next to the omega. They stayed silent. Occasionally, a random sound of a vehicle running by came between the sound of their breathing. Yifan fidgeted under the blanket.

“Can’t sleep?” Junmyeon asked softly.

“I never sleep this soon,” Yifan replied. “And I’m used to sleeping alone.”

Junmyeon chuckled, “Well, at least this is a double bed.” He rolled over his side and placed his hand on Yifan’s belly. “May I?” 

Yifan stretched his body and nodded, closing his eyes. Junmyeon started to massage Yifan’s stomach.

* * *

Junmyeon woke up the next morning to the inviting smell of caramel and coffee, feeling more content than ever. The house seemed more lively than before. His heat had subsided for the most part. Only one or two more days and he would be done. He could not help but smile, thinking about Yifan in the kitchen. Outside it was pitch black but Junmyeon felt as if the sun was shining. He quietly got to the kitchen. Yifan stirred when he saw him.

“Morning. I did not wake you up, didn’t I?”

Junmyeon shook his head. “You should have let me cook you breakfast.”

“It’s okay. You give me a place to stay for a few months. This is nothing.”

Junmyeon smiled and packed breakfast and lunch for both of them. He took a peek at the other, who was tending to the eggs benedict, his cheek slightly reddened and Junmyeon was sure it was not from the heat of the kitchen. The air of awkwardness had been lifted but Junmyeon knew that Yifan felt a bit diffident as he was not used to this kind of closeness. The alpha kept his distance. After the warm-up meal, they set out for the restaurant. 

As usual, Junmyeon was flooded with work the moment 4 o’clock struck. Mrs. Lee came down early today to supervise Yifan. He would have to make something and that something would be tested immediately by the restaurant’s customers when it was done. Around an hour later, Mrs. Lee called Junmyeon over to bring a baking tray outside. So Yifan made croissant, the classic breakfast treat. Junmyeon told the waitress to offer these for customers for free. He returned to the kitchen and this time, he was ordered to give every staff member a bite. All the while, Yifan stood in a corner and fiddled with his hands. Junmyeon was the last to try. And dear God above, it was magnificent. The alpha felt a bit ashamed, this was a million miles better than the ones made from ready frozen dough. The crust was delightfully crispy. The crumb was smooth and fluffy. The smell of butter was heavenly. Every element was just right and mixed together in a terrific manner. He looked over to Mrs. Lee. His mentor looked like she was reminiscing about some distant time. 

“Are there more?” Junmyeon heard Sehun yelling in the background.

After the feedback from the customers came, Mrs. Lee said to Yifan, gently, “Change into your uniform. You start now.”

She then turned to a smiling Junmyeon, “Show him where the ingredients are stored, Junmyeon.”

Today was quite a busy day as they got an order for a party. That was the most nightmarish part of the job, working on delivery orders. Before the recession, Paradise would only allow customers to book a mass order for delivery one week prior to the delivery date but that was changed. A mass order could fling in out of the blue and the staff had to work three or four times the speed to fulfill both the delivery order and the orders on-site. 

“How was today?” Junmyeon asked Yifan, who was in the shower booth next to his.

“It’s great, you know, to finally work again. I really like the stand mixer and the dough roller. When I was at Prime, I had to do everything by hand.”

As the routine went, they had dinner at the restaurant with the staff. The night shift staff dropped by briefly to say hello this time. Mr. Jung, the night shift’s head chef, expressed his jealousy over them having a pastry chef. Yifan was exhilarated to meet Luhan, Tao, and Yixing - the other Chinese guys. 

“So, Yifan, you’re staying over at Junmyeon’s place, huh?” Luhan asked.

“Yeah,” came the reply.

“For how long?” 

“I don’t know yet. Probably 2-3 months, until I get paid and have some money to buy cell phones and furniture and stuff.”

“Cool. Housing is competitive here. You’d better start looking now. If you need any help just call me or Yixing. In fact, we can take you house viewing tomorrow. I know this landlord. I’ll call her to get you a slot. The house is a bit far but very nice.”

Junmyeon tried his best to keep his eyes fixed on the bowl he was holding instead. There was a sense of melancholy rising in him. 

“That’d be great. I appreciate that a lot.”

“Cool. I’ll call you tomorrow about the house viewing, eh?” Luhan said and stood up, stealing a piece of chips from Sehun’s plate in the process.

* * *

Yifan became a part of Junmyeon’s routine. Every morning, the alpha woke up to the bright kitchen light and the endearing smell of Yifan’s cooking. Junmyeon would go to the kitchen after that and they made breakfast and lunch together. They talked about anything ever. Then, they went to work in the blistering cold. One day, Junmyeon took Yifan to visit here and there in the city after dinner. They went to the central square. Christmas was approaching so any stores that had not closed down put on the decorations. If anything, the lights further highlighted the dark spots of the stores who could not survive the economic downfall and the lack of people strolling the streets, making the scenery even more dreary. The city used to be alive with energy. The streets and the stores used to be packed with people and bustled with noise. Now, a veil of blue cast over everything. Somewhere from the square, a violinist was playing. The sound made the place even more dreary. 

Junmyeon and Yifan went around a bit then stood under the street light and smoked. They looked at the snow falling down, painting the square with its chilly white. 

“ I wish I could reopen  _ Prime  _ again one day,” Yifan said.

Junmyeon looked over to Yifan and saw that he was looking at a bakery. What was Junmyeon’s wish? He thought of nothing but making money ever since he graduated from high school. Before, he thought that he would go to college and then become a professor like his father but that vision seemed too far-fetch now. 

“I don’t know what I should wish for,” Junmyeon said. “Thinking about the future frightens me.” 

A couple went past them. Apparently, they just came out of a restaurant near there. They were hand in hand, smiling and talking with each other. They looked at the couple then at each other. Junmyeon felt like Yifan wanted to say something so he waited but he did not. They extinguished the cigarette and headed home. They did not continue having sex after Junmyeon’s heat had passed. They just climbed into bed, wished each other goodnight and turned to their sides, back facing each other. Junmyeon wondered if Yifan sometimes looked at his back with so much yearning when he could not sleep like the alpha did countless time. 

One morning, Junmyeon and Yifan went to the storage to get some flour. When they got back, Baekhyun got into a rendition of the  _ Wedding March _ , sending the other chefs gagging in the background. The two of them both flicked flour into the other alpha’s face, intensifying the laughing. 

“Argh! Hyungs are so mean!” Baekhyun said, trying to clean off the flour. 

Junmyeon caught Yifan smiling secretly, though. He loved Yifan’s smile. They did not talk much about their relationship. Both understood the situation and tried to keep this a mere heat partnership. To be honest, this made Junmyeon felt a bit melancholic. But what choice do they have? He thought of all the responsibilities and he felt chickened out. If they got together, could they withstand the hardship? How could they be together when they had no savings, no car, no house, only made ends meet? How could they be together when they had never even gone on a proper date? How could they be together when they barely had time to cook each other a proper dinner? How could they be together when Junmyeon did not have a dime to spare so that he could buy Yifan a present when his birthday came?

“The flat is quite nice,” Yifan said to Junmyeon when they had a smoke break during work. “The place Luhan and Yixing took me to.”

“Is it?” 

“Yeah. A bit far away but it is quite modern, just renovated recently. It has a heater and hot water.”

“That’s great.”

“I’ll pay you back the rent after I move out.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I insist.”

The conversation ended there and Junmyeon took another drag off the cigarette, staring at the ground beneath him. He would miss waking up to Yifan’s cooking. He would miss sleeping next to him. Though the time Yifan stayed with him was limited, he would never forget how much it brightened his life.

* * *

Junmyeon was having his smoke break when Yifan approached him from the bathroom. The omega stood next to him and he offered Yifan a cigarette before he asked.

“I’m pregnant,” Yifan exhaled and told Junmyeon casually, pulling the pregnancy test wrapped in tissues out of his pocket. He sounded normally but his hand was slightly shaking.

Junmyeon froze at the screen, saying “Pregnant. 3+” and it was his turn to start shaking. Panic filled him. He was dead sure they used condom during intercourses in the past month and they only had sex during his heat, not Yifan’s. Apparently, it was never regular for him. He gulped before gathering all his will to speak up, “How far along exactly?”

“Six weeks.” Junmyeon felt electricity running through his spine, he met Yifan six weeks ago. Yifan took another drag of cigarette, springing the ashes to the ground before continuing, “Not yours, though. Breathe.”

That did not relieve Junmyeon. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

Junmyeon stayed silent. His mind had run completely chaotic. “May I ask whose is it?”

Yifan took another drag, as if contemplating whether to tell him or not. “If you don’t want to tell me, it’s okay,” Junmyeon added quickly.

“No, it’s fine. Six months ago, Prime went bankrupt and Master Jung died suddenly afterwards. I squeezed every of her and my last dime to pay the debt. I became homeless then. I sold all valuable possessions to get some money to get by. Master Jung kept a directory of people in the hospitality industry so I tried phoning them all, hoping to get a job. Most were outdated numbers so I searched for them on the internet then emailing them. I didn’t get any reply so I tried visiting places I felt hopeful. I was doing whatever to get enough money to go places to places. I ran out of money one and a half months ago. I slept with an alpha in desperation. She offered to double the money if we didn’t use condom and I went with it. I bought some morning after pill the next day and a train ticket to this city to visit Mrs. Lee. So, there’s that.” Yifan said in a single breath and took some more drags.

“Did you take the pill?”

“Yeah.”

Yet, here they were. Now, Junmyeon understood why Yifan spent a past few mornings retching in the toilet.

“Have you called your mom and dad?”

“They divorced when I was ten. Dad remarried. Mom …” Yifan paused, “Mom died two years ago.” 

Fuck, so technically Junmyeon was all Yifan had at the moment. They continued to smoke together in silence for what seemed like the longest time ever. Junmyeon tried to count from zero to calm himself down, but to no avail. Fuck, what were they going to do? Keep the baby and and the three of them starve? Should he try to convince Yifan to have an abortion? But what if he wanted to keep the baby? Giving birth then giving it up for adoption? Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, what should he do? Junmyeon took another drag from the dwindled cigarette. 

Yifan shook his head after a few more drags of cigarette. “Fuck, I shouldn’t have told you. I’m sorry.” He extinguished the cigarette and turned to walk away.

Junmyeon took hold of Yifan’s wrist and pulled him into a hug. 

“Of course you should have told me. Whatever your choice is, I will take care of you.”

Junmyeon felt the other embraced him back. He smoothed Yifan’s back gently and cooed nonsense at him. That night, Junmyeon cooked for Yifan a grand dinner instead of staying at the restaurant for leftovers. 

“I’m sorry I bother you,” Yifan said while they were eating.

“You did not so don’t be sorry.”

They stayed silent for a while. 

“I thought I could deal with it alone so I kind of avoid you,” Yifan said. “After all, you’re just my heat partner.”

Junmyeon took the omega’s hand. “I got you now. Don’t worry.”

Yifan made up his mind two days later: he would not keep the child. Therefore, they called in to ask for a day off. Junmyeon escorted Yifan to the Central hospital at 8 am. They took the subway there. He held Yifan’s hand all the way. Junmyeon looked out of the window. Normally, he would feel refreshing seeing the sun lights. But not today. 

While Yifan was in the clinic, Junmyeon took the time to go buy some juice and groceries. He also bought a new coat for Yifan. He returned after a while and waited anxiously at the benches outside the clinic. He tried to read the newspaper but realized he could not concentrate properly. The alpha struggled to sit still as the hours passed by. Eventually, after what felt like centuries, Yifan emerged from the clinic. Junmyeon sprang right to him, putting the new coat over his shoulder and giving him the juice. He had his hand under Yifan’s shoulder to help him walk. On the way back, Yifan gripped his right hand and leaned on his shoulder. Junmyeon turned to kiss his head or caress his cheek from times to times. When they got home, Junmyeon tucked the omega in. He smoothed over Yifan’s neck with a towel soaked with warm water. After lunch, Yifan started crying. Junmyeon just embraced the man and let him pour it all out. 

Yifan returned to work the next day to Junmyeon’s dismay. He tried to convince Yifan to rest a few more days but the man insisted that he needed to work again immediately or he would go crazy.

* * *

“You remember the flat I told you about?” Yifan said to Junmyeon during a smoke break. 

Junmyeon looked down to the man who was sitting on his feet across from him. Something churned in his stomach. “Yeah. The one Luhan and Yixing took you to.”

“I’m considering taking it.”

Junmyeon nodded dumbly, taking another drag off the cigarette. It had been three months since Yifan came to stay with him. The omega saved a decent amount of money. It was high time he he had moved out. Junmyeon was actually thinking of how to convince him to stay. It was now or never. 

“Do you want to stay with me?/Do you want to come live with me?” Both of them uttered at the same time. 

They stopped smoking and looked at each other, amused. 

“I know the place is a bit far but it has heating and hot water. And you seem to be really sensitive of the cold weather. I can’t afford it alone but if you agree to share, we can make it.” Yifan said. 

Junmyeon went over and sat down next to Yifan. “Can you take me there?”

The omega’s eyes lighted up. “Of course. I’ll call the landlord.”

Yifan was about to resume smoking when Junmyeon leaned over and kissed him. The alpha thought of buying them both a new pair of shirts when he got the salary this month so he could take Yifan home to meet his family. He had his worries but he thought that maybe, maybe they could make it. 

  
  



End file.
